[epics]

I'm considering buying someones PC. Below is their full advertisement. They considered an offer for 1400 for just the tower, which is what im interested in. Looking at the numbers in the links it adds up to be worth it financially, but I dont keep up very much with PC hardware to know whats new and whats not, what I DID notice though is most of that stuff has comments from 2006-2008, and I read somewhere that it only takes (single digit) amount of years for a pc to become an antique.

Any advice or thoughts would be nice.


$2,800 invested in PC not including the case, Sony DVD drive and software.

Monitor was $1,200 new.

Total of 4.3 TB of hard drive space.


Clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and Office 2007 Ultimate


Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz

Overclocked to 4.0GHz/1600 MHz


http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115054


8GB/1600 MHz OCZ Reaper RAM


http://www.newegg.co...7-527-_-Product


OCZ ModXstream 900watt power supply


http://www.newegg.co...n82e16817341009


EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB (x2 SLI) GDDR3


http://www.google.co...ed=0CD0Q8wIwBA#


Dell 30" 3007WFP UltraSharp Widescreen Monitor


http://www.dell.com/...wfp&cs=19&s=dhs


WD VelociRaptor 300 GB Internal hard drive


http://www.tigerdire...C7BBTkwCjCECjCE


EVGA 132-CK-NF79-A1 Core 2 Quad/ nForce 790i Ultra SLI/ 3-Way SLI/ A&2GbE/ ATX Motherboard


http://www.pcplanets...25&item_id=3552


Logitech MX3200 Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Laser Mouse


http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B000HCRVSK


Coolit Freezone Elite with Mtec cooling system


http://www.xoxide.co...cpu-cooler.html


Western Digital - Caviar Green 1TB Internal Serial ATA Hard Drive (x4)


http://www.bestbuy.c...(OEM/Bare Drive)/9861598.p?skuId=9861598&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9861598&ref=06&loc=01&id=1218186680817

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Hi epics,

It's a very nice build, but it is a little dated. I mean, It will play all the latest games for sure, but the age of the PC combined with how long you plan to keep it and use it I don't think is worth $1400. You could build one yourself, or find a newer PC that is just as capable for that same amount, maybe less.

Another thing I don't like is that he has it overclocked which is pretty hard on the processor. I'm not saying Don't Ever OverClock, but to buy a used PC that is... I don't think is a good idea.

Did you find this on Craigslist? Or??? The monitor sure is intriguing though...

There are some pretty nice custom builds you can find on Newegg.com too that are brand new. For example...

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229186
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229198
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229137 <--- Less money, but then spend a couple hundred on a 20 something inch monitor.

Just some thoughts, thinking out load. Let me know what you think. We can go from there.

Edited by Ferrari, 11 September 2010 - 01:09 AM.

[Ferrari]

Hi epics,

It's a very nice build, but it is a little dated. I mean, It will play all the latest games for sure, but the age of the PC combined with how long you plan to keep it and use it I don't think is worth $1400. You could build one yourself, or find a newer PC that is just as capable for that same amount, maybe less.

Another thing I don't like is that he has it overclocked which is pretty hard on the processor. I'm not saying Don't Ever OverClock, but to buy a used PC that is... I don't think is a good idea.

Did you find this on Craigslist? Or??? The monitor sure is intriguing though...

There are some pretty nice custom builds you can find on Newegg.com too that are brand new. For example...

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229186
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229198
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229137 <--- Less money, but then spend a couple hundred on a 20 something inch monitor.

Just some thoughts, thinking out load. Let me know what you think. We can go from there.

Edited by Ferrari, 11 September 2010 - 01:09 AM.

[epics]

yeah im not worried about a monitor, i own a half decent (i think) one. For what I plan on using it for, ive been interested in getting a "killer" networking card, i believe thats actually the name btw. So I was looking at cyber power PC website and saw one at about 1500 that included one.

Also whats the deal with Dual graphic cards? do they really boost performance the way they claim to?

[phillpower2]

Hi epics
I agree with Ferrari on the purchasing of an O/C system, steer clear of it.
Out of the 3 systems he suggests the one at the attached link gets my vote http://www.newegg.co...N82E16883229186

Also whats the deal with Dual graphic cards? do they really boost performance the way they claim to?

Like everything else this would depend on the quality and therefore the cost of the two cards and what the user was aiming to
achieve by running two cards in sli or crossfire mode, below is a link to some information on sli
http://en.wikipedia...._Link_Interface

[Ferrari]

Also whats the deal with Dual graphic cards? do they really boost performance the way they claim to?

I was always taught it's better to go with one High End Card, than go with two lower cards in SLI, or Crossfire. The original machine you were looking at had two 8800 GT's which are actually old, but are still to this day very good cards.

Do you have a link to the $1500 system you were looking at?

[epics]

My budget has gone up to 2000 dollars, flat. (can't go over).

I'm looking to buy something I wouldn't need to upgrade for a few years, and I plan on running this thing at high settings for everything I do (Gaming) and will be using Autocad and other things for school. Do you guys have any recommendations you might've recently given someone else? I would probably be buying off Cyperpower or ibuypower website, maybe newegg (I hear iffy things about their purchases, like things being dead or loose in the pc).

[epics]

considering this, and i would need to add windows 7 OS to the price too.
Configuration#: 1CNTX2 (http://www.cyberpowe...om/saved/1CNTX2)
Product Name: Gamer Infinity Killer 9000 (NO MONITOR)
Case: * Raidmax Typhoon Gaming Mid-Tower Case with See-Thur Side Panel [-55]
Internal USB Extension Module: None
Neon Light Upgrade: None
Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Default case fans
Noise Reduction Technology: None
CPU: [Special] Intel® Core™ i7-950 3.06 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366
Freebies: None
Venom Boost Fast And Efficient Factory Overclocking: No Overclocking
Cooling Fan: NZXT Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
Motherboard: * (3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 Dolby Audio, eSATA, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID, IEEE1394a, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI
Motherboard Expansion Card: None
Memory: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+182] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
Freebies: None
Video Card 2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+341] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
Video Card 3: None
Dedicated PHYSX Card: None
Multiple Video Card Settings: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
Power Supply Upgrade: 900 Watts - Apevia Warlock Series 80 Plus Power Supply [+112]
Hard Drive: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
Data Hard Drive: None
Hard Drive Cooling Fan: None
External Hard Drive (USB3.0/2.0/eSATA): None
USB Flash Drive: None
Optical Drive: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
Optical Drive 2: None
Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
3D Vision Glasses: None
LCD Monitor: None
2nd Monitor: None
3rd Monitor: None
Speakers: None
Network: Killer™ 2100 - Gigabit Maximum Network Performance Online Gaming Network Interface Card
Network Surge Protector: None
Mega Notebook/Netbook/Server Bundle: None
Keyboard: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
Mouse: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
Gaming Gear: None
Extra Thermal Display: None
Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: None
External Wireless Network Card: None
Wireless 802.11 B/G/N Access Point: None
Bluetooth: None
Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
Video Camera: None
Headset: None
Printer: None
Cable: None
Power Protection: None
Surge Protector: None
IEEE1394 Card: None
USB Port: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
Floppy: None
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner: None
Office Suite: None
Games: None
Ultra Care Option: None
Service: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Rush Service: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

EDIT: I really like the idea of a good network card, and I added an extra graphic card (the game I'm buying this for is supposedly rediculously intense on cards, so in my amateur mind two good ones is better than one good one, educate me if im wrong)

open to ideas, keep in mind the budget is 2000 w/out monitor.

Edited by epics, 12 September 2010 - 01:50 PM.

[Ferrari]

Things a monster even with just 1 470, but two, along side an i7 - 950, USB 3.0, 6GB/s Hard drive... WOW! Yeah, this is a nice machine! If you can afford this, you'll be very happy.

[stettybet0]

Killer NICs are worthless. To quote a review of the Killer 2100:

It says a lot that it was so difficult for us to see any tangible difference from the Killer 2100 despite our best efforts to test in a scientific and consistent way. Even in our theoretical tests where we could control the variables of our local, private network we saw little benefit from the Killer 2100.

When gaming we saw little difference between our (free) on-board network controller and the Killer 2100 in terms of ping and frame rate.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2010/09/02/killer-2100-gaming-network-card/5

Are you open to building your own computer? You will be able to get more value for your money if you build the computer yourself.

If not, one thing I would definitely change with that build is the power supply. You can get the Corsair 950TX PSU for $9 more... Get it, it is of much higher quality than the one you currently have selected.

The benefit of SLI varies greatly depending on the game. You say you are building the PC for a specific game... You should look up whether or not SLI has a significant performance impact on that game before deciding to go with SLI.

[epics]

i'm open to it yeah. but i dont really have the time to research all of the parts i should be. Strange the killer NIC card had ab ad rating, I've read some others that said it was good... I'm interested because my DSL connection can usually be poor. Tempted to justb uy a private line. But anyway, very open to building, but part of why i like the prebuilt ones is because they come with warranties which im a fan of.

[Ferrari]

because they come with warranties which im a fan of.

Yeah, building your own is the way to go if you want to do it, and it's really not as hard as one might think, especially if receiving help from some guys in this forum. Also, when you build your own, the individual parts come with warranties... for example, if your power supply goes out, you send it off and get one replaced. Generally known as RMA (Returned Merchandise Authorization). I think some companies will actually send the part out right a way, and only if you don't send the bad unit back within so many days, then they charge your credit/debit card.

[epics]

sounds cool, ill have about 2 hours free at work tommorow. Is there a guideline you'd like me to follow for shopping for parts on Newegg? or do you guys have a bookmarked computer you designed for someone else handy?

edit: been thinking about it and maybe building it is better. I think the experience would help me buy upgrades in the future.

Edited by epics, 13 September 2010 - 07:33 PM.

[Ferrari]

Is there a guideline you'd like me to follow for shopping for parts on Newegg?

Generally, if you want some help with the build, you pick out the parts you want... making sure they are compatible to the best of your knowledge, and you list each part with a link, and someone like me, stettybet0, or others will make adjustments or suggestions. At the end, you'll probably end up listing again with a "final check" over the equipment and compatibility.

You will need:

• Processor (CPU)
• Motherboard
• RAM (Memory)
• Graphics Card(s) (GPU)
• Power Supply (PSU)
• Hard Drive(s) or newer SSD(s)
• Optical Drive (CD/DVD/Blu-Ray)
• Computer Case
• Operating System

You will need a 64bit OS if planning to have over 3.5gb of RAM... I recommend Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit either way.

Optional:

• Aftermarket CPU Cooler
  (really only needed for overclocking, but some like it for looks/and to add longevity to the life of the processor)
• Monitor
• Lights
• Fans

Etc, Anything else you desire...

You can look at the How to Build Your Own Computer Guide, and you can look at Are My Parts Compatible Guide here at Geekstogo.

In the price range you are looking in I'd go for an "Core i" Series Processor, i7 preferably. Match the RAM's mhz speed to the motherboards specifications. Processor's socket must match motherboards socket, etc. Get a beefy power supply 80 PLUS CERTIFIED IS A MUST (recommend Corsair) as you will probably be purchasing a high end graphics card like Nvidia's 470 or 480, or ATI's 5870 or 5890. I like Cooler Master, Corsair, and Antec for computer cases just to name a few.

Other links... CPU HIERARCHY CHART August 2010 and Best Graphics Cards for the Money August 2010 from Tom's Hardware, a trusted hardware reviewer.

Hope that helps.

Edited by Ferrari, 13 September 2010 - 08:02 PM.

[epics]

got up really early today and did some reading and browsing, how would i go about pasting my ideas from the websites? do you prefer the usual copy - paste or would rather i make an excel file, print screen, anything like that? I noticed newegg didnt have the saved links like cyberpower does.

[epics]

This is what i've come up with so far.

https://secure.neweg...spx?ID=12345791

I was researching cases, because my original choice wouldnt be big enough. And I was reading about USB 3.0 support, so this new case has that.

I have to get a PSU, a fan for the processor. I plan on getting a decent soundcard either now or in the future. Also need to buy a storage hard drive. ( I was reading anything at 1TB or above can have problems lasting, something about strange clicking ).

Any thoughts? As far as the graphic card goes it seems that one blows the others out of the water, and that to me is worth the price. I also looked at the CPU heiarchy list, and they said dont upgrade unless the CPU is 2-3 tiers higher. There was a bundle that came with another part on the list for 20 dollars cheaper, but it was a six core processor. And i'm not 100% sure if some of the games I play support that.

Also had a question on liquid cooling, is it possible to get it for the graphics card too? According to reviews and tests, the graphic card im purchasing has heat issues, not bad ones but it can run hotter than people would like. My pc is usually being used by someone so its on all the time, and i'd like it to stay cool since it wont ever have a break.

EDIT:

the processor that came with the bundle was this one

Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition

it has six cores, and a higher speed than the i7 I have according to numbers (the GHz numbers). But I really dont want to deal with compatibility with programs.

EDIT:

I also considered 2 of the Radeon HD 5830 1GB graphic cards since theyre only 160 dollars, but the reviews for the 5970 are just so tempting.

EDIT: Also have to pick out a motherboard, and I was reading that a poor motherboard can ruin a PC. I'm having trouble understanding what I'm buying aside from sockets. care to give me a hand on this part to match what I want inside of it?

Edited by epics, 14 September 2010 - 09:34 AM.